CHUCK Recap: Chuck vs. the Kept Man

THE MISSION – Look! A paying client! It’s the return of Gertrude Verbanski. Tonight’s episode opens with Chuck being held captive by the traditional evil doctor. “How would you like to die today, Mr. Carmichael?” Never fear; Sarah and Casey to the rescue, but not before the doctor has given Chuck the Carmicheal Industries mission statement. Chuck creates a new acronym to add to the series collection along with T.I.T.S and P.A.N.T.S – Clandestine Agents Relating Emotionally; C.A.R.E. So very Chuck.

Enter Gertrude Verbanski. She hires the team to accompany her to Miami’s South Beach to do security for an arms deal, but is it all just an excuse to get Casey in a banana hammock? Casey thinks so and bails on the mission. But he’s wrong. Part two of the mission involves a secret compound in the Everglades where Sarah is blinded by a flash grenade after Casey has been called to deliver the ransom of ten million dollars to free Gertrude. Chuck saves the day in his usual nerdish way and the team is extracted.

Meanwhile, back at the BUY MORE, the new and improved Jeff Barnes has actually figured out the purpose of the store. He constructs a bulletin board covered with string and 3 x 5 cards that looks like the back of Chuck’s TRON poster. He correctly pegs Casey and Sarah as secret agents and Chuck as an asset. But who’s the fourth person on the team? Morgan walks in on Jeff and Lester and offers them Captain Awesome. Devon is recruited to play along, leading the duo on a merry chase that results in them descending into Castle only to find a workout machine and an exercising Awesome. Chuck, Sarah and Morgan are relieved to think that all is well, only to have Jeff figure out that he and Lester have been duped. Morgan, in a surprisingly adept demonstration of firearm technique, tranqs the dynamic duo. More on this next week…

MISSION ANALYSIS – This week’s subplot centers on two things; Casey’s dislike of the idea of being a kept man and is Sarah pregnant? Casey overcomes his fear as Verbanski ultimately realizes she must treat Casey as an equal. Forget the cashmere sweater. Bring on the monogramed kevlar vest. Chuck and Sarah use a home pregnancy test after Sarah suspects she might with child. Chuck can’t read the stick (“Is that a peace symbol?”) so Sarah says the test shows she is NOT pregnant, but I have a feeling the test indicator has been misread, either intentionally or accidentally. Sarah gets all emotional during the Everglades mission asking, “What if we did have a baby?” My, she sounds all touchy, feely like Chuck!

This episode covered a lot of ground, setting up things for the final story arc. Therefore, a good deal of exposition was handed out along with a few action scenes to move the story along. We now have all the pieces in place to finish Chuck’s story except one; one last villain. Fret not! He’s appearing next week. This episode didn’t have the pizazz that the last two episodes displayed, a result of all the exposition.